Dance Notes
Bill Borgida & Julee Mertz Workshop
3/26/05
Blues
- Don't hunch your shoulders!
- Avoid holding the follow's hand at a weird angle
A slide to the right
- Tilt your shoulders to the left.
- Sink into the left foot.
Push across to your right foot.
- Make sure you push straight across, instead of arcing up and down.
- Land on the right foot.
- Make sure you 'collect' your left foot under you.
- Note that stepping into your foot (step on the ball of your foot and then sink through the rest) is always an option.
When turning/pivoting in blues, always try to prepare in the opposite direction.
- ... but not so far that you're going into a dip
Counterbalance
Start on the center of your feet.
- In: Move your weight forward just until you could (theoretically) lift your heels.
- Out: Move your weight backward just until you could (theoretically) lift your toes.
- You'll want one of your feet to be a tiny bit in front and the other foot to be a tiny bit scooted back.
Make sure that your abs are tucked in.
- Tilted backwards rather than forwards.
- You can do weight shifts (side to side) at the same time.
- Simultaneous wiggling is also possible.
Lindy
Your shoulders are hunched up in Lindy, too -- don't do that.
- Keep your arms open & relaxed.
On 2, you've been bending the follow's right hand funny. This needs to stop.
- You've used your left hand to push the follow in a circle.
- In process, you tilt your left hand down, and push her right hand back at a right angle.
- Pretend your left wrist is on a tabletop, and just goes around.
- If 1,2,3&4 doesn't take you all the way around 180º, you have more room to set up momentum for 5,6,7&8.
7&8 gives you a chance to back up a little further on the right side than the left.
- Then, if you have a good connection, the step on 1 can be very small (just bringing your feet together)
- Match the follow's rotation on 5&6 -- maintain eye contact (or maintain a position from which you could maintain eye contact) throughout.
- Your steps should always be small but definite.
- When going out of closed position, the follow will want to step on her right foot.
- From closed position, you can go into grapevines.
Footnotes
One page links to PSRDanceBillJuleeWorkshop:




